< Zakkaariyaas 1 >

1 Bara Daariyoos keessa, jiʼa saddeettaffaa waggaa lammaffaatti dubbiin Waaqayyoo akkana jedhee gara Zakkaariyaas raajicha ilma Berekiyaa, ilma Iddoo dhufe:
[I am] Zechariah, a prophet, the son of Berekiah and grandson of Iddo. When Darius [had been the emperor of Persia] for almost two years, during November [of that year], Yahweh gave me this message:
2 “Waaqayyo akka malee abbootii keessanitti aaree ture.
“I was very angry with your ancestors.
3 Kanaafuu akkana jedhii sabatti himi; Waaqayyo Waan Hunda Dandaʼu akkana jedha; ‘Gara kootti deebiʼaa’ jedha Waaqayyo Waan Hunda Dandaʼu; ‘Anis gara keessanitti nan deebiʼaa’ jedha Waaqayyo Waan Hunda Dandaʼu.
So tell this to the people: [I, ] the Commander of the armies of angels, say, ‘Return to me, and [if you do that], I will [help] you again.
4 Isin akka abbootii keessan kanneen raajonni durii, Waaqayyo Waan Hunda Dandaʼu, ‘Karaa keessan hamaa fi gochawwan keessan hamaa sana irraa deebiʼaa’ jedha, jedhanii itti lallaban sanaa hin taʼinaa. Isaan garuu hin dhaggeeffatan yookaan na hin qalbeeffatan, jedha Waaqayyo.
Do not be like your ancestors. [Other] prophets, who have now died, [continually] proclaimed to your ancestors that they should stop doing the evil things that they were continually doing. But they refused to pay attention to what I said.
5 Abbootiin keessan amma eessa jiru? Raajonnis bara baraan jiraatuu?
Your ancestors [have died and are now in their graves] [RHQ]. And the prophets did not [RHQ] live forever, [either].
6 Garuu dubbiin koo fi seerri koo kan ani tajaajiltoota koo raajota ajaje sun abbootii keessan irra hin geenyee? “Ergasii isaan qalbii jijjiirratanii, ‘Waaqayyo Waan Hunda Dandaʼu akkuma gochuuf murteesse sanatti waan karaa keenyaa fi gochawwan keenyaaf malu nutti godhe’ jedhan.”
But I punished [IDM] [the people for disobeying] the commands and the decrees which I commanded my servants the prophets [to tell to the people]. Then they (repented/turned away from their evil behavior) and said, ‘The Commander of the armies of angels has done to us what we deserved for our evil behavior, just like he said that he would do.’”
7 Bara Daariyoos keessa, waggaa lammaffaatti, bultii afuraffaa jiʼa kudha tokkoffaa, jiʼa Shebaaxi jedhamu keessa dubbiin Waaqayyoo gara Zakkaariyaas raajichaa ilma Berekiyaa, ilma Iddoo dhufe.
[Three months later], on February 15, Yahweh gave [another] message to me.
8 Ani halkan keessa mulʼataan namicha farda diimaa yaabbatu tokko fuula koo duratti nan arge! Innis mukkeen kusaayee kanneen laga keessaa gidduu dhaabatee ture. Dugda isaa duubaan fardeen diddiimoo, mammagaallanii fi adaadiitu ture.
During the night [I had a vision. In the vision] I saw an [angel] who was on a red horse. He was in a narrow valley among some myrtle trees. Behind him were [angels on] red, brown, and white horses.
9 Anis, “Yaa gooftaa ko, wantoonni kunneen maali!” jedheen gaafadhe. Ergamaan Waaqayyoo kan natti dubbachaa tures, “Isaan maal akka taʼan ani sin argisiisa” naan jedhe.
I asked the angel who had been talking to me, “Sir, who are those [angels on the horses]?” He replied, “I will show you who they are.”
10 Kana irratti namichi mukkeen kusaayee gidduu dhaabatee jiru sun, “Kunneen warra akka isaan guutummaa lafaa keessa deemaniif Waaqayyo ergee dha” jedhee naa ibse.
Then the [angel] who had been under the myrtle trees explained. [He said, ] “They are the [angels] whom Yahweh sent [to (patrol/see what is happening in)] the [entire] world.”
11 Isaanis, “Nu lafa guutuu irra naannofnee akka lafti guutuun boqonnaa fi nagaa qabdu argine” jedhanii ergamaa Waaqayyoo kan mukkeen kusaayee gidduu dhaabate sanatti himan.
Then those angels reported to the angel who was [there] among the myrtle trees, “We have traveled throughout the world, and we have found out that [the army of the emperor of Persia has conquered nations] throughout the world, [and that] those nations are now (helpless/unable to resist his army).”
12 Ergamaan Waaqayyoos, “Yaa Waaqayyo Waan Hunda Dandeessu, ati Yerusaalemii fi magaalaawwan Yihuudaa kanneen waggoota torbaatama itti aarteef hamma yoomiitti hin araaramtu?” jedhe.
Then the angel asked, “Commander of the armies of angels, how long will you continue to not be merciful to Jerusalem and the [other] towns in Judah? You have been angry with them for 70 years!”
13 Waaqayyos dubbii gaarii fi dubbii jajjabeessuun ergamaa Waaqayyoo kan na wajjin dubbachaa ture sanatti dubbate.
[So] Yahweh spoke kindly to the angel who had talked to me, saying things that comforted/encouraged him.
14 Ergasii ergamaan Waaqayyoo kan natti dubbachaa ture sun akkana jedhe; “Dubbii kana labsi: Waaqayyo Waan Hunda Dandaʼu akkana jedha; ‘Ani Yerusaalemii fi Xiyooniif akka malee nan hinaafa;
Then the angel who had been talking with me said to me, “Proclaim this [to the people of Jerusalem]: The Commander of the armies of angels says that he is very concerned about [the people who live on] Zion [Hill] and [in the other parts of] Jerusalem.
15 ani garuu saboota waan nagaa qaban of seʼanitti akka malee aareera. Ani xinnuma aareen ture; isaan garuu ittuma fufanii hamaa hojjetan.’
But he is very angry with the nations that are [proud and feel] safe. He was only a little bit angry [with the people of Judah], but [he is very angry with the surrounding nations because] they caused [the people of Judah to experience] complete disaster.
16 “Kanaafuu Waaqayyo akkana jedha: ‘Ani araaraan Yerusaalemitti nan deebiʼa; manni koos deebifamee ni ijaarama. Funyoon ittiin safaranis Yerusaalem irra ni diriirfama’ jedha Waaqayyo Waan Hunda Dandaʼu.
Therefore, this is what he says: ‘I will again be merciful to [the people of] Jerusalem, and they will rebuild my temple. Men will measure [all the land in] the city [before they start rebuilding the houses].’
17 “Ammas ittuma fufiitii Waaqayyo Waan Hunda Dandaʼu akkana jedha, jedhii labsi: ‘Magaalaawwan koo deebiʼanii badhaadhummaadhaan ni guutamu; Waaqayyos Xiyoonin ni jajjabeessa; Yerusaalemis ni filata.’”
The Commander of the armies of angels [also] said this: ‘Tell the people that [the people in] my towns [in Judah] will soon be very prosperous again, and I will encourage [the people of] Jerusalem, and their city will again be my chosen [city].’”
18 Ammas ol nan milʼadhe; kunoo, fuula koo dura gaanfa afurtu ture!
Then I looked up, and I saw in front of me four [animal] horns.
19 Anis, “Kun maali?” jedheen ergamaa Waaqayyoo kan natti dubbachaa ture sana gaafadhe. Innis, “Kunneen gaanfawwan Yihuudaa, Israaʼelii fi Yerusaalemin gargar bittinneessanii dha” jedhee naaf deebise.
I asked the angel who had been speaking to me, “What are those [horns]?” He replied, “Those horns [represent the armies that] forced [the people of] Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah and Israel to go [to other countries].”
20 Waaqayyos ergasii ogeeyyii hojii harkaa afur na argisiise.
Then Yahweh showed me four (craftsmen/men who make things from metal).
21 Anis, “Isaan kunneen maal hojjechuuf dhufan?” jedheen gaafadhe. Innis akkana jedhee deebise; “Isaan kunneen gaanfawwan akka namni tokko mataa isaa ol hin qabanneef Yihuudaa bittinneessanii dha; ogeeyyiin hojii harkaa kunneen garuu isaan rifachiisuu fi gaanfawwan saboota uummata ishee bittinneessuuf gaanfawwan isaanii biyya Yihuudaatti ol fudhatan kanneenii balleessuuf dhufan.”
I asked, “What are those men coming to do?” He replied, “[The armies represented by] those horns caused [the people of] Judah to be scattered, with the result that they suffered greatly. But the craftsmen have come to cause those who attacked [IDM] Judah to be terrified and crushed.”

< Zakkaariyaas 1 >